Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1967

8Provisions as to library books.N.I.

(1)Where[F1the Director of Public Health] has reason to believe that a person is suffering from a notifiable disease he may by notice in writing direct—

(a)that person not to take, cause to be taken for his use, or use, any book taken from a library; or

(b)that person not to return or cause to be returned to any library any book which has been exposed to infection from such a disease while under his control; or

(c)any person not to deliver to the person suffering from the notifiable disease any book which has been or may be taken from any library; or

(d)any person not to return to any library any book which he knows to have been in contact with a person suffering from a notifiable disease,

unless such precautions as may be specified in the notice have been taken.

(2)Any person who acts in contravention of a notice under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence under this Part.

(3)Where [F2the Regional Agency] is aware that a book in, or taken from, a library has been exposed to infection from a notifiable disease, they may disinfect the book and return it to the library, or cause it to be disinfected and so returned, or destroy it.

(4)[F3The Regional Agency] may pay compensation to the proprietors of a library who have suffered loss by reason of any action taken under subsection (3).

(5)Where a person acts in contravention of a notice under subsection (1), [F4the Regional Agency] may recover summarily from that person—

(a)the cost of any action taken under subsection (3), and

(b)the amount of any compensation paid under subsection (4),

as a civil debt due to [F5the Regional Agency].